Rats aren’t only a part of New York City’s underground — they’re an inseparable part of its pop culture. There’s Master Splinter from the Ninja Turtles, Pizza Rat, and even Cannibal Rat. But for every celebrity rat, there’s another 250,000 to 2 million anonymous rodents living in the city — and the city health department is fighting to bring down.
The battle can be deadly. Last year, three people in a Bronx city block contracted leptospirosis through rat urine. Only two survived.
To combat the problem, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a $32 million initiative to rid New York of its signature rodents, concentrating on hyper-infested areas that the city describes as “rat reservoirs.”
Multiple city agencies are currently focusing their efforts around public housing buildings, where they plan to replace dirt basement floors, block passageways and amp up trapping, baiting and poisoning efforts.They also apply dry ice to the rats’ burrow systems, effectively suffocating them as the carbon dioxide gets released while the ice melts.
But if all else fails, a small group of dedicated rat hunters are ready to step in.
When dusk settles, Richard Reynolds and his vigilante rat hunters known as “The Ryders Alley Trencher-Fed Society” — or R.A.T.S for short — roam lower Manhattan’s streets and dumpsters, keeping their dogs’ instincts sharp and the hunting tradition alive.
In the three decades Richard has been hunting rats with his dogs, he says he must have killed thousands of rats. But he doesn’t really keep track.
A hunter through and through, he only counts the ones that get away.
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Rat sightings have reportedly exploded in New York City, according to the New York Times. http://bit.ly/2W1K3iU
The PETA people are such jerks to be against dogs hunting rats which they were bred to do.
That old man suddenly ignored him when he said he could put his socks over the pants. He knew that made sense but he already had the tape ready lol
This is the most New York thing I've ever seen.
new yorkers don't close the lid of their trash cans, and don't care course there is a bunch of rats
I love how the old man casually flicked the rat in that lady's face that had me on the floor rolling and also the guy that said "look at the size of dhat fuckah"?😂 much respect to these New Yorkers they are different type of human
Rude😢
These people are brave I can never touch one gusting 🤢
PLEASE don’t go home and kiss these dogs on the mouth I beg of ya’s
👹🤢🤮
People live in New York, why.?
Building in New York made of peanut butter cement
Put rubber gloves on guys
That bald guy is a gem
Rats are so smart its scary
The “why don’t I just tuck my pants in my socks” all of them have such a low iq for not doing that in the first place
I would not want my dog biting these
Sick people getting off on inflicting pain on other animals.
That’s what Democ-Rat policies will get you.
Courageous people ❤
Disgusting.
Queens NY style babyyyy
NYC is a stray cat paradise!
OK. Can’t resist. Sic those ratters on your politicians.
What about the role of cats?
I rode a rat to work the other day. The bumb wanted a 20% tip.
A NY City Rat bumbed a cigarette then asked me for a light on the subway the other day
5:29 This is the kind of rat you wanted to find to live off during the Krang Apocalypse.
The many reasons I love White people especially in New York😬😁🥴
The lack of gloves in this video is appalling
Rest In Power vice 💙
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